TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report
Name of Observer: Jiweon Lee
No.

Date

Observation
Environment
(include URL
if the class was
online)

4/20
2016

Face to face
(classroom)

Observation # _01__

Class
Skill/Content

Class
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)

Teacher

Grammar

400(441)
high intermediate

Debbie
Peterson

OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON:

1. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SIMPLE PAST.
When I arrived to the classroom, Professor Peterson had prepared the quizzes on
the TV screen. The lesson was for reviewing quizzes of yesterday. She started with the
explanation about what they would do in this class, and she handed out papers to each
students. On the papers, there were several rules that students would need to get the right
answers on the quizzes and there were no examples. Then, she required them to read the
first line on the TV screen one by one. After this, she gave specific explanations of the
question or corrected their answer. Professor Peterson explained the students by giving
them an easy example to them. For instance, she taught about the difference in meanings
between present tense and past tense with example. When the student read it incorrectly,
she corrected it. If the student answered a question about the question incorrectly, she
corrected the student's answer. For example, when a girl answered about making a
question by using 'be' verb incorrectly, instead of using helping Verb, she explained to
her how to use the helping verbs in questions. When she corrected their speaking and
explained the rules, she used the rules on the papers. Also she would like to correct not

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TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
only the grammar errors but also pronunciations and tones, and encouraged them to speak
loudly. If students answered correctly, she asked them why it was right. Professor
Peterson asked them such questions: what is the verb? Is it an Action Verb or a Stative
Verb? At this question, students answered differently. She explained to them that the verb
is Stative Verb with action meaning.
After reviewing by using the screen, she gave the paper with quizzes to the
students. She required them to read the quizzes and if they have a question such as how
they will be graded, please tell her. In this time, Professor Peterson wanted the student to
talk about the time words to express the past such as yesterday, a year ago. When the
students spoke those words, she wrote them in the blackboard. Then she asked them
make a sample sentence with those words one by one. For example, one student said he
arrived at UCR Extension in the morning. She said; give the time in the sentence. The
student corrected it by adding at 7 a.m. She put emphasized time expressions and said
simple past should be used with the time expression. After introducing, Professor
Peterson gave handouts to students. In the handouts, there was a paragraph and she said
they would focus on the past tense verbs and past time expressions. The teacher read it
out with a clear voice and the students read it with their eyes. She asked them what the
past verb was and wrote the answers from the students. She also asked its present tense to
students. After that, they practiced by underlining all the past tensed words in the
paragraph.
Professor Peterson used some of strategies to teach her student at the class. First,
she didn't give the quiz paper to her students. This is because if she gave the paper to
them, they would just read the paper, not listen to what she was saying. She worried

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TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
about them only concentrating on the paper, so she used the TV screen even though it
was small. Second, she spoke loudly and clear. Every student seemed to be able to
understand her voice even if she spoke a little fast. Also, they weren't able to feel sleepy
because of her strong voice. Third, she corrected the grammar, the pronunciation, and the
tone of students saying. She corrected them and asked the student to speak again. It
would be helpful to them to practice how to speak correctly. Forth, the professor gave the
student the paper with some check points of the quizzes to check their grades. It would be
helpful when they study and make them consider why their answers were wrong. Fifth,
she started the new section with short explanation and asking them to say some
expressions. The students had already studied about the concept of the past tense at the
lower level classes, so she didn't spend time explaining its form but she pulled out their
background knowledge by asking them to say some time expression. She just introduced
some of the forms of the past tense such as regular tense. Sixth, the teacher made
connection with grammar and pronunciation. When she talked about the regular past
tense, she explained how to speak '-ed' sound. Seventh, she used her own materials for
her classes. It was useful to lead the class by her setting. Eighth, she gave some
assignments to write what they learned. It could give them a chance to practice about the
past tense.
The mood of the class was very nice. When the students couldn't read, she
encouraged them to come close with humor. Also when they felt inconvenience, they
changed the position and could read the questions on the screen better. The students and
the professor had a smile on their faces. Even if they were wrong, they didn't seem to be
stressed about it. Professor Peterson just required them to speak the answer in person and

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TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
asked them why they answered it. She seemed to want to teach the rules by speaking the
answers out loud and explaining why the grammar rules are used at those situations.
Professor Peterson's class was good. Even if its first phase was reviewing so it
could be focused to just solve the questions, not the grammar. However she forced the
class to focus on the certain grammar rules. Also she gave many examples when she
explained about the grammar rules from the quizzes. It seemed to make the connection
between the concept and the students.

Last Updated: 11/13/2016 11:16 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
What did you learn about teaching or learning from this lesson?Discuss your
observation focus, and the theory you have studied in your TESOL classes. Consider
the three levels of teacher reflection (surface, pedagogical, critical). (100-200 words)
In my opinion, Professor Peterson did very well in the class. She forced the
students to focus on the class by using several methods. First, I can learn the importance
of materials. When she used her own materials she can control speed of her class. Also
her methods of reviewing showed the importance of considering about student's focus.
She didn't use their paper and it caused a little bit of inconvenience, it forced the student
to focus on what she saying. Lastly, making a contrast with past tense and present tense
was very impressive. By comparing those two similar concepts, they could not allow
themselves to be confused about their using. Also, when she asked them to give an
example of using past tense with time expressions, she also asked them to give example
of their real life. In my opinion, it could be very helpful to the students because they
could be more familiar with those concepts when they talked about it.

What activities/techniques from this class do you want to remember for your own
teaching practice? Discuss specific ways in which you could apply the techniques and
methods you saw. Discuss your future teaching environment and your students needs
and goals. (100-200 words)
I want to remember the method that was used to connect the concept of the
meaning with the real life. I could use this method in my future class when I would teach
certain tense. The goal of my future students would be to practice the tense. I would be

Last Updated: 11/13/2016 11:16 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
able to use it in the class but also I can use it for my future students by giving assignment
such as writing a diary of making a plan with using the certain tense. Also, I would want
to remember the way to give the contrast between present tense and past tense. In my
future classes, I can use this method to make them practice both concepts.

Last Updated: 11/13/2016 11:16 PM